By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
Neighbors in the Westgate community will once again open their doors this summer for visitors to explore their homes and gardens, and gain inspiration.
The 2014 Westgate Home and Garden Tour will be held from 2 to 6 p.m., June 14, and will feature nine stops. The event, hosted by the Westgate Neighbors Association and in its fourth year, is a great way to showcase the area’s hidden gems, said Debbie Maddox, Westgate Home and Garden chair.
“Westgate has homeowners from all walks of life, and their homes and gardens reflect it,” she said.
This year’s tour will showcase an eclectic group of homes and garden, but Maddox points to one stop in particular she thinks will be a favorite among visitors – a garden on Sylvan Avenue that features a fairy garden.
“The homeowner has numerous fairy gardens ranging from a castle with a dragon to a large fairy garden in a wheelbarrow,” Maddox said.
One stop has an original greenhouse attached to the home, while another has a custom-stained glass window designed by the homeowner to document family births and weddings.
“One of my favorite homes on the tour has a craft room along with personalized ceramic picture tiles that line the stair raisers,” Maddox said.
Betty Jaynes, president of the Westgate Neighbors Association, says the day of the tour is a high point for Westgate.
“The neighborhood is definitely dressed up for company, with the tour homes spit-polished and shined, and more than 80 volunteers ready to greet and assist our guests,” she said.
The event also presents an opportunity to draw in visitors from throughout central Ohio.
“In fact, we distribute fliers announcing the tour in many Columbus neighborhoods – the Short North, Victorian Village, German Village, Beechwold and other areas where we know people who appreciate older homes and historic neighborhoods live,” Jaynes said.
For visitors, especially those who live in small spaces, taking the tour provides inspiration for their own personal spaces.
“In general, the homes in Westgate are not large with sprawling yards and gardens,” Jaynes said. “We are always excited to showcase homes that effectively and creatively use small or challenging indoor and outdoor spaces.”
For example, one of the homes on the tour has a cocktail room for the comfort of the homeowners’ overnight guests. This room was made from a small upstairs area – too small for a bedroom, not plumbed for bath and not needed for closet space.
“It’s an absolutely charming and unexpected detail created by the couple living there,” Jaynes said. “We are finding more and more singles, couples and young families who appreciate the cost and space efficiency, the historical significance and unique sense of community that Westgate has to offer.”
Tickets for the 2014 Westgate Home and Garden Tour are now on sale for $10, and can be found online at westgateneighbors.org , at Haldeman Cleaners (3117 W. Broad St.) and at Gearhart’s True Value Hardware Store (2885 W. Broad St.).
Tickets on the day of the tour are $12, and cash, check and credit cards will be accepted. Tickets, however, are only available at the tour registration tent beginning at 1:30 p.m. The tent will be located at Parkview United Methodist Church, 344 S. Algonquin Ave. No tickets will be available online or at retail outlets the day of the tour.
The event will be held rain or shine.
